Lawmakers reviewing UConn Health Center overhaul

An $864 million proposal to overhaul the University of Connecticut Health Center into a bioscience research hub is getting a mixed reaction from lawmakers.

STEPHANIE REITZ

An $864 million proposal to overhaul the University of Connecticut Health Center into a bioscience research hub is getting a mixed reaction from lawmakers.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's Bioscience Connecticut plan was outlined Thursday to legislators from several General Assembly committees. They're being asked to approve it before adjourning June 8.

Some lawmakers are praising the plan, but others say the process is being rushed. Supporters say it will create thousands of jobs. Opponents are questioning its cost and the effect on other Connecticut hospitals.

The proposal would renovate the Farmington-based center's John Dempsey Hospital, expanding bioscience research and boosting enrollment in UConn's medical and dental schools.

The state would have to borrow $254 million to supplement nearly $340 million approved last year in a different overhaul plan.